The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 231 Female crown Xuan Jing
"Squeak-"

A slightly hesitant sound of a door hinge turning broke the conversation of the three people in the courtyard.

Li Yi subconsciously looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the door of the west wing was wide open, and a young female Taoist priest in a linen robe was stepping out of the threshold.

The female Taoist priest looked to be in her early twenties. Her long black hair was tied into a simple Taoist bun and secured with a plain wooden hairpin. She wore a yellow headdress, a common accessory for Taoist priests.

She was tall and slender, wearing a simple, loose-fitting Taoist robe that reached her ankles.

Although she tried her best to conceal the undulations in her figure, one could still glimpse her slender and graceful figure from her movements.

Her skin wasn't a stunningly white, but rather had a healthy and gentle glow.

Individually, her facial features are not particularly outstanding; when combined, they are merely passable in terms of attractiveness.

Compared to Li Yi's wives and concubines, they were indeed somewhat inferior.

However, this woman possessed a fresh and ethereal quality.

Especially her eyes, clear and bright like the moon reflected in a cold pool, seemed to contain inner radiance, deep and serene, highlighting a kind of restraint and uniqueness.

Just like an unglazed porcelain blank, it may not be stunning, but its natural texture makes up for its slight shortcomings in appearance.

Li Yi thought to himself: This is probably what they call making up for a lack of "modeling" with a certain temperament?

But what truly surprised him was the woman's astonishing height—she was already extremely tall, and with the yellow crown on her head, she seemed to be only a few inches shorter than the lintel when standing under the eaves.

It should be noted that the height of the doorway of the side room in the courtyard was about six feet three inches, which is between 1.9 and 2 meters in later times.

Doesn't that mean that Zuo Congqin's junior sister is at least 1.7 meters tall?

She was considered tall even among men, and even more so among women, standing out from the crowd. She was the tallest woman Li Yi had ever seen... Before her, the tallest was Fu Erniang, who was nearly 1.7 meters tall.

Li Yi's gaze lingered briefly on the female champion before subtly shifting away.

Zuo Congqin's junior sister was, after all, a woman. It would be rather impolite for a grown man like him to stare at her so intently.

At the same time, the female Taoist priest standing under the corridor noticed the only unfamiliar face in the courtyard.

Her gaze swept over Li Yi, who was dressed in military uniform, seemingly carrying a hint of probing.

Chen Tuan's voice rang out at the right moment: "Xuanjing, this is General Li Yi, the commander of the cavalry of the Great Zhou Palace. Why don't you come over and pay your respects?"

The female Taoist priest, called Xuanjing, responded and stepped forward gracefully, her wide Taoist robe swaying gently with her steps.

Perhaps because she had gotten up a little hastily from her midday nap, her hair was not tied up very securely. As she walked, a few strands of hair broke free and fell down unintentionally, sticking to her smooth forehead and cheeks, adding a touch of lazy and casual elegance.

Li Yi turned his gaze to Chen Tuan, his expression questioning, clearly wanting the other party to introduce him.

Chen Tuan understood, raised his hand in a gesture of invitation, and introduced her to Li Yi: "This is my junior sister whom I took in on behalf of my master. Her Daoist name is 'Xuanjing'. She has always been cultivating in the mountains with me."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi nodded slightly. Seeing the female Taoist priest Xuan Jing walking towards him, he stood up to show his respect.

Chen Tuan and Zuo Congqin, who were standing nearby, naturally followed suit and stood up.

Upon approaching, the female Taoist priest Xuan Jing stopped in her tracks. Her gaze was calm and composed, showing none of the shyness or coyness typical of women.

She clasped her hands in front of her body and bowed to Li Yi, saying, "This humble Taoist, Xuanjing, greets General Li!"

Her movements were clean and efficient, and her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, displaying a certain masculine boldness.

Li Yi returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Greetings, Daoist Xuanjing! I have often heard that Mount Hua is a place of spiritual beauty and many reclusive scholars have emerged from it. Today, having seen the celestial beauty of the Primordial Lady, I know that the rumors are true."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Jing lowered her eyelids slightly, and a very faint smile seemed to flash across her lips.

She replied calmly, "General, you flatter me. I am a hermit living in the mountains, with simple clothes and plain appearance, and I dare not accept the title of 'celestial beauty'."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Xuan Jing curtsied and retreated to Chen Tuan's side, bowing his head in silence.

The group then took their seats again in order.

The leftover tea on the stone table had gone cold, so Zuo Congqin changed the water and brewed a new batch. A wisp of fresh tea smoke rose and dissipated in the afternoon breeze.

Next, Li Yi skipped over the matter of face reading and instead chatted with Chen Tuan over tea, discussing everything from geography and astronomy to anecdotes and literary allusions from ancient and modern times.

Chen Tuan truly deserves to be called a Taoist master whose name is recorded in history. He did not waste his life living to such an old age. His vision and knowledge are indeed admirable.

Although Li Yi's combined lifespan across both lifetimes didn't exceed that of Chen Tuan, he had the advantage of being influenced by the information explosion of the future era, and he could chime in on any topic.

His skillful handling of the situation drew frequent praise from Chen Tuan.

Chen Tuan stroked his beard and smiled, nodding in praise: "Those who are skilled in both literature and martial arts have always achieved great things; this is an unchanging principle of heaven and earth. I see that General Li possesses great wisdom and ambition; his future achievements will be limitless!" Upon hearing this, Li Yi smiled and waved his hand, saying: "When I was young, my family was poor. Even having enough to eat and wear was a luxury. How could I have had the opportunity to study and learn to read? I could only rely on my brute strength to make a living in this chaotic world."

"Fortunately, the Emperor did not abandon me, recognizing my humble courage and promoting me beyond the usual ranks, entrusting me with an important position in the Imperial Guard. However, with high position comes heavy responsibility. I often think of my own lack of talent and knowledge, and I am afraid of failing the Emperor's grace. That is why I have to bite the bullet and pick up my books in my spare time from military affairs."

He paused, then shook his head slightly: "Unfortunately, studying requires both talent and accumulation. I have neither talent nor early training; I merely skim through books."

"A jack of all trades and master of none may be able to spout a few random thoughts in casual conversation, but if one were to delve deeper and delve into the meaning of the book, one would immediately expose one's ignorance and become a laughingstock."

Upon hearing Li Yi's humble words, Chen Tuan simply smiled without saying a word... It was unclear whether he believed him or not.

Seeing that the old Taoist priest with white hair and a youthful face remained calm and composed throughout, Li Yi couldn't help but feel a sense of indescribable disappointment.

Li Yi had little doubt that Chen Tuan was capable.

First of all, this old Taoist priest was not a fraud, because people in this world have always pursued fame and fortune, and those who can see through fame and fortune are extraordinary.

Furthermore, Chen Tuan is already quite old... There are two kinds of people in the world: one kind gets more confused as they get older, and the other kind becomes shrewd with age.

Chen Tuan was clearly the latter; this can be seen from his words and actions alone.

Li Yi was eager to see Chen Tuan because he admired him and wanted to see the "Sleeping Immortal" in person.

At the same time, he also wanted to pry out some information from the other party.

After all, Chen Tuan had been staying in the palace for more than a month, so he naturally had a lot of close contact with the emperor.

So what exactly did the emperor say to him? Did he mention any important information that was unknown to outsiders?
Or perhaps... Chen Tuan has noticed something secret?
For example, the question that Li Yi has always been most concerned about is—what is the emperor's health condition?

The mystery surrounding Chai Rong's sudden death has always been the subject of much speculation, including some conspiracy theories.

But in Li Yi's view, the most reasonable inference is still the "sudden illness" theory.

Under the medical conditions of ancient times, many people often harbored hidden illnesses that were difficult to diagnose, even those of noble birth.

Once a hidden illness suddenly flares up, it can cause either a prolonged illness that torments both the body and mind, or a life-threatening condition where life hangs in the balance.

For Li Yi, Chai Rong's health was of paramount importance... On a grand scale, it concerned the future course of history; on a smaller scale, it involved his own rise and fall, honor and disgrace.

Unfortunately, Chen Tuan was too tight-lipped. No matter how Li Yi tried to probe him indirectly, the old Taoist priest always managed to cleverly avoid the topic.

As his thoughts wandered, Li Yi picked up the teacup in front of him and took a small sip.

At this moment, his gaze inadvertently swept over Xuan Jing, the female Taoist priest sitting beside Chen Tuan, and saw that she had slightly parted her cherry lips and secretly yawned, with lingering weariness on her face.

Moreover, when Li Yi and Chen Tuan were discussing the past and present, Zuo Congqin would occasionally chime in with a few words.

Only Master Xuanjing remained silent throughout, looking as if he hadn't had enough sleep.

Li Yi's mind stirred slightly: Historical records state that Chen Tuan created a "sleeping technique" that allowed one to cultivate inner alchemy using a sleeping posture, even sleeping for over a hundred days without waking up.

However, the Chen Tuan before us had bright and clear eyes, spoke with vigor and energy, and showed no signs of drowsiness or lethargy. He was more energetic than many middle-aged people.

On the contrary, his junior sister seemed to have practiced the sleeping technique, but it seemed that she had not mastered it well enough.

It is far from reaching the legendary state of "when asleep, the spirit dwells in the abyss; when awake, the essence overflows from the top of the head."

Of course, such thoughts only flashed through Li Yi's mind... He wasn't so idle as to care about how a female Taoist priest slept.

Li Yi looked up at the sky and estimated the time; about half an hour had passed.

The hunger pangs in his stomach came at just the right time, reminding him that he hadn't eaten lunch yet.

Thinking of this, Li Yi suddenly felt that there was no need to stay here.

It seems there's no way we can get even a single word out of Chen Tuan.

If that's the case, why waste time here?
So Li Yi put down his teacup, lightly pressed his hands on the edge of the stone table, and made as if to get up, preparing to say his farewell.

Just then, Xuan Jing, the female Taoist priest who had been sitting silently, suddenly raised her lowered eyelids.

Then, she spoke softly, "General Li, please forgive my impertinence..."

Upon hearing this, Li Yi was slightly taken aback.

Even Chen Tuan, who had just picked up his teacup, paused for a moment.

Zuo Congqin looked surprised, clearly not expecting her seemingly taciturn junior sister to suddenly speak to Li Yi.

(End of this chapter)